Political notebook: Muskox wool, children's books - but no new princely title

OTTAWA – When Prince George of Cambridge was born on July 22, the Canadian government announced that the official gifts would be a $100,000 donation to a child-focused Canadian charity, and a hand-crafted blanket.

In addition, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General David Johnston and their spouses split the cost of a selection of award-winning Canadian children’s books as a personal gift to the third in line to the throne.

Details about the baby blanket, however, were blacked out in documents we requested using Access to Information, identified as “not relevant.”

But a spokesperson for the Privy Council Office was able to fill in the blanks. The blanket is described as a “cream coloured qiviut (muskox wool) with a … narrow white border” It includes an embroidered Royal Arms of Canada and the date of the prince’s birth (in English and French). The artist’s name is Lorraine Weston of Adstock, Que. and her company is Cottage Craft Angora.

Unofficial photo of the blanket presented to Prince George.

The documents released to us contain no briefing notes or emails discussing possible presents, budget amounts or criteria. The email response from the public to the gift announcement was tepid: only a few people emailed the Prime Minister’s Office in response to the July 25 announcement. A few wrote to say “good choice” and “a child is a blessing” or to offer suggestions for gifts. One person hoped the blanket would not be the iconic Hudson’s Bay blanket: “It used to be Canadian. Not anymore,” the person wrote in reference to the company’s sale to American Jerry Zucker in 2006. The other emails were from the media seeking information about the gifts or the assistance of the PCO to arrange an interview with Kevin MacLeod, the Canadian Secretary to the Queen.

One thoughtful correspondent, in an email sent in March, proposed creating a special honorary title of “Prince or Princess of Canada” for the new baby. Such an honour could capitalize on the popularity of the royal parents, strengthen ties with the U.K. and “further unify our unique multicultural Canadian identity across all the regions of our country in a common positive cultural theme,” the person said. “It may not be possible for a variety of legal reasons. … and unfortunately may be distracting to other important government business,” added the letter writer. “No doubt there will be some republican resistance.”

All the contact information for the writer is blacked out except that he or she lives in Manitoba. M. Bredeson, an executive correspondence officer for the Prime Minister’s Office, thanked the letter writer and promised to send the suggestion to someone else whose identity has been blacked out.